Update on Pelita Air Crash in Krayan: Pilot Killed
The head of the Tarakan National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) office, Syahril, confirmed that the pilot of an Air Tractor AT-802 aircraft, registration PK-PAA, owned by Pelita Air Service and dedicated to transporting aviation fuel on the Long Bawan–Tarakan route, was killed after the plane crashed in the hilly terrain of Krayan, Nunukan, North Kalimantan.
“At 14:33 Central Indonesian Time, the pilot was found dead and evacuated from the crash site,” Syahril said during a press conference on Thursday (19 February).
Syahril said that at 12:25 Central Indonesian Time, eyewitnesses on the apron observed the aircraft descending at an angle towards the rear of the hill at the end of runway 22.
Upon receiving the report, the Air Force post commander and the local military district commander, along with residents, moved to the location and found the crash site at 13:25 Central Indonesian Time.
“At 15:20 Central Indonesian Time, the pilot’s remains were taken to Pratama Hospital in Long Bawan,” Syahril said.
Meanwhile, the Head of Public Relations and General Affairs at the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, Endah Purnama Sari, said that based on preliminary data, the cause of the accident involving the aircraft carrying one crew member — the pilot — is still under investigation.
“The latest information we have received is that the pilot, Captain Hendrick Lodewyck Adam, has been confirmed dead,” Endah said in a written statement.
Endah added that in terms of airworthiness, the aircraft had undergone routine 100-hour and 200-hour inspections on 11 February 2026.
“The aircraft’s total flight hours reached 3,303 hours,” she said.
Corporate Secretary of PT Pelita Air Service, Patria Rhamadonna, said the accident involving one of Pelita Air’s charter fleet aircraft is being investigated.
The flight was a cargo service transporting fuel, crewed by a single pilot with no cabin crew or passengers, using an Air Tractor AT-802 aircraft with registration PK-PAA.
“The aircraft is a dedicated fleet serving the One-Price Fuel distribution mission to border regions. At the time of last monitoring, the aircraft had just completed a distribution mission to Long Bawan and was on its return route to Juwata Airport, Tarakan,” Patria said in a written statement.
The Pelita Air aircraft crashed shortly after take-off, having just offloaded its fuel cargo at Yuvai Semaring Airport, Long Bawan. Weather conditions over Krayan at the time of the incident and since have been reported as overcast and dark.
An eyewitness at the airport, Aboy, described the tense moments when the aircraft began to lose control.
“The aircraft took off and was about to turn left. What I saw was that a part of the aircraft came loose, followed by the aircraft rolling,” Aboy recounted.